Post by Timeon on Oct 4, 2013 22:29:09 GMT
From the Ashes
For a very long time, I toyed with the idea of making a spin-off Pathfinder campaign based in the Shatterbridge setting. There were some difficulties attached to this idea, such as when such a campaign could take place without affecting the current Forum RPG. I therefore decided that a hypothetical Shatterbridge campaign like this would take place in Shatterbridge's past. Intactbridge, if you will. However, it would also mean that players would have very little control of their world's destiny, because events would eventually have to match up to Shatterbridge.
Therefore, I realised that the best option was to make such a campaign take place somewhere beyond the current world atlas. West of Samar, to be precise. The premise would be that after the civil war that started in 1721, lots of refugees fled the newly established Dominion to avoid persecution. Malvern, Sali and Samar would not accept them out of fear of the Dominion, and thus, these refugees banded together and made a great trek into the west, to found a new homeland. The players would be part of this grand exodus.
-
The Story
In the year 1721, the last Emperor of the Faloran Empire passed away in his sleep. His death marked the end of the Empire, for the Empire had by this point been an empire of mankind in name alone. For the entirety of his life, the Emperor had been mostly powerless, a relic of the past, 'reigning' from Varantium. The true power in the land was Archanicus, the oldest and most powerful of all spirits.
With the Emperor dead, Archanicus decided that it was time to sweep away the remnants of the Empire, and found the Holy Dominion.
But with change comes resistance.
Archanicus wanted to end slavery, make binding illegal and make himself the supreme authority in all things spiritual and legal. The slavers and binders of the Empire rallied behind great spirits, some of them opposing slavery, but willing to oppose Archanicus on principle - for Archanicus was a tyrannical being.
These two parties could not solve their differences diplomatically. And thus began a gigantic civil war.
Archanicus was aided by other great spirits, such as the Arbiter and the Silhouette of Stars.
His enemies included other Archons of this age, such as the Wielder and the Paragon.
Finally, a third party arose, led by the Archon in command of the far southern realms of Malvern. This Archon declared Malvern independent, and instituted members of the Faloran royal family on a new Malvernian throne.
Eventually, Archanicus vanished while on the verge of a crushing victory. His second in command, the Arbiter, took command of his Holy Dominion, and brokered a peace deal with the remaining enemy spirits. This peace deal pardoned many great spirits if they would accept the new Common Law, and make slavery illegal.
But Common Law was retroactive, and the pardon did not apply to humans.
For this reason, thousands upon thousands of people in the new Dominion were suddenly considered criminals. Binders, former slavers and royalists all became traitors under Common Law, and many began to be hunted down, put on trial, and executed, by the Arbiter's new order of Wardens.
As part of the grand peace deal, newly independent Malvern and other nations could not accept refugees guilty of violating Common Law.
Thus, these refugees had nowhere to go.
For that reason, many thousands of criminals, slavers, binders and rebels gathered in Samar, under the guidance of a prophetic preacher. It was decided that these thousands would venture west, into unknown territory, to carve out a new land for themselves.
From the Ashes, a new empire might someday be born.
Players
My main problem with hosting a Shatterbridge campaign based in Pathfinder is that unlike the Forum RPG, it requires timezones to match up. It would be impossible to play if people are at work while I am at home, or if they are only at home when I am asleep.
For that reason, with great reluctance, I have to say I can only host this for people who will be online on weekdays from around 19GMT.
On the other hand, people who can't play it can help me out with planning it for the actual players. So that means more worldbuilding!
In this sub-forum I can keep people who are interested up to date on the campaign as it progresses, since it affects Shatterbridge indirectly, and has an impact on the setting itself.
For a very long time, I toyed with the idea of making a spin-off Pathfinder campaign based in the Shatterbridge setting. There were some difficulties attached to this idea, such as when such a campaign could take place without affecting the current Forum RPG. I therefore decided that a hypothetical Shatterbridge campaign like this would take place in Shatterbridge's past. Intactbridge, if you will. However, it would also mean that players would have very little control of their world's destiny, because events would eventually have to match up to Shatterbridge.
Therefore, I realised that the best option was to make such a campaign take place somewhere beyond the current world atlas. West of Samar, to be precise. The premise would be that after the civil war that started in 1721, lots of refugees fled the newly established Dominion to avoid persecution. Malvern, Sali and Samar would not accept them out of fear of the Dominion, and thus, these refugees banded together and made a great trek into the west, to found a new homeland. The players would be part of this grand exodus.
-
The Story
In the year 1721, the last Emperor of the Faloran Empire passed away in his sleep. His death marked the end of the Empire, for the Empire had by this point been an empire of mankind in name alone. For the entirety of his life, the Emperor had been mostly powerless, a relic of the past, 'reigning' from Varantium. The true power in the land was Archanicus, the oldest and most powerful of all spirits.
With the Emperor dead, Archanicus decided that it was time to sweep away the remnants of the Empire, and found the Holy Dominion.
But with change comes resistance.
Archanicus wanted to end slavery, make binding illegal and make himself the supreme authority in all things spiritual and legal. The slavers and binders of the Empire rallied behind great spirits, some of them opposing slavery, but willing to oppose Archanicus on principle - for Archanicus was a tyrannical being.
These two parties could not solve their differences diplomatically. And thus began a gigantic civil war.
Archanicus was aided by other great spirits, such as the Arbiter and the Silhouette of Stars.
His enemies included other Archons of this age, such as the Wielder and the Paragon.
Finally, a third party arose, led by the Archon in command of the far southern realms of Malvern. This Archon declared Malvern independent, and instituted members of the Faloran royal family on a new Malvernian throne.
Eventually, Archanicus vanished while on the verge of a crushing victory. His second in command, the Arbiter, took command of his Holy Dominion, and brokered a peace deal with the remaining enemy spirits. This peace deal pardoned many great spirits if they would accept the new Common Law, and make slavery illegal.
But Common Law was retroactive, and the pardon did not apply to humans.
For this reason, thousands upon thousands of people in the new Dominion were suddenly considered criminals. Binders, former slavers and royalists all became traitors under Common Law, and many began to be hunted down, put on trial, and executed, by the Arbiter's new order of Wardens.
As part of the grand peace deal, newly independent Malvern and other nations could not accept refugees guilty of violating Common Law.
Thus, these refugees had nowhere to go.
For that reason, many thousands of criminals, slavers, binders and rebels gathered in Samar, under the guidance of a prophetic preacher. It was decided that these thousands would venture west, into unknown territory, to carve out a new land for themselves.
From the Ashes, a new empire might someday be born.
Players
My main problem with hosting a Shatterbridge campaign based in Pathfinder is that unlike the Forum RPG, it requires timezones to match up. It would be impossible to play if people are at work while I am at home, or if they are only at home when I am asleep.
For that reason, with great reluctance, I have to say I can only host this for people who will be online on weekdays from around 19GMT.
On the other hand, people who can't play it can help me out with planning it for the actual players. So that means more worldbuilding!
In this sub-forum I can keep people who are interested up to date on the campaign as it progresses, since it affects Shatterbridge indirectly, and has an impact on the setting itself.